Rape in RPGs

[nancylebov]

A substantial discussion of the subject. What caught my eye the most how *much* people live in their imaginations--I think there's a cultural assumption that only what's physical is real enough to be important.

Link supplied by reginleif.

Comments

[supergee.livejournal.com]

I'm getting an error message: "ttp is not a registered protocol."

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I've corrected the link.

[supergee.livejournal.com]

"We live in our dreams and endure our realities"--Robert Anton Wilson

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

how *much* people live in their imaginations--I think there's a cultural assumption that only what's physical is real enough to be important

I've had cited to me (but cannot find a link to at the moment) a study that was done on visualization that seems relevant to this point.

The study involved a group of young athletes (HS/college age, IIRC) split into four teams. Each of the teams was to prepare using one of the four possible combinations of physical practice/visualization and their absences.

Unsurprisingly, in the ensuing tournament, the team that prepared using both methods was significantly better than the others. However, what was noticeable was that the teams that used one method each were approximately at the same level, again significantly ahead of the team that didn't prepare.

Given that evidence that we can make an internal reality as strong as an external one in some key ways, it strikes me that I would want to be even MORE sparing than the author in permitting or being involved in such a scene. It's not an uncommon fantasy; enacting it is something that I'd think about two or three times, at least.

Thanks for the link; I'll bookmark it when I get home, and see if I can't also scare up a link to the study above.

[sturgeonslawyer.livejournal.com]

Good article. Thanks for pointing it out. After playing and GMing RPGs for goin'-on 30 years, I see a lot of baseline wisdom in this article. I've never heard the basic principle, "keep the game comfortable for everyone," articulated that way before, but it's absolutely key.

A non-rape but relevant example: my current game world is a "secret history" set in 20th century (30s and 80s) San Francisco. At one point we had a Bad Guy do a powerful spell, and - playing the role of the Bad Guy - I muttered a bunch of random words, and threw in the Magic Square ("rotas opera tarot arepo sator"). One of the players - the host that night, as it happened - asked afterwards that I never do that in his home again. A perfectly reasonable request, and in fact I won't use any "real" spellwords again in any game he's in.

We've never had a rape situation in any game I've been in. I wouldn't feel comfortable with it as GM or player.